WRITE. Write something new or choose a piece you’ve already written; share your piece with others. Remember that writing includes more than a pencil and a pen. Your piece can be something spoken, drawn, texted, or recorded.

SPEAK. Talk to the students you teach, community, service, or church groups you belong to, or journalists/media personalities you know about celebrating the National Day on Writing.

CONNECT. Share your ideas and connect with others online on Facebook and Twitter. Inform your community with a press release outlining an event to celebrate the National Day on Writing.

INFORM.Spread the news that the U.S. Senate passed resolutions in 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009 declaring October 20 the National Day on Writing. Ask your town officials and state legislators to proclaim October 20 as the National Day on Writing with this proclamation.

CELEBRATE. Organize a celebration of writing in your school, group, or community on October 20, the National Day on Writing. Your celebration might include a writing marathon, poetry slam, journal read-in, or a post-it note plot scheme. Get creative and make your celebration memorable! Read about celebrations that have taken place across the country. And please let NCTE know about your celebration by completing this short survey.

INVOLVE YOUR COMMUNITY. Your libraries, schools, organizations, and families can get involved with the National Day on Writing in a number of ways, including:

Hosting a Writing Open House.

Conducting a Spoken Word/Poetry Slam Celebration.

Holding a Writers’ Showcase or “Composition of the Day” event leading up to the National Day on Writing.

Inviting well-known local/regional writers to share their writing tips and samples of their work at school or local group events.

Creating a thematic writing event that focuses on a specific cause -- this could include showcasing chalk art, people writing on post-its or cut outs that could be posted on a wall or public display, graffiti art, letters to the military, writing about trauma or loss, etc.